Way to Go, Glynn County

© Dr Gary D. Lemmons, April 14, 2007

There is no one who appreciates our peace officers more than me; however, it looks as though some of our Glynn County lawmen have made a substantial effort to live up to the folklore that law enforcement in Georgia is made up of “bubbas” and ignorant “rednecks.”

As reported yesterday in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Glynn County authorities stripped and deloused Cheryl Kuehn, a Canadian citizen, while they ran a check on her immigration status.  Glynn County officials initially said that the action was in conformity with SB 529, which was passed by the Georgia General Assembly and signed by Governor Perdue last year.  Trouble is the law doesn’t go into effect until July of this year (2007) and it only applies to felonies and drunken driving charges.  Kuehn’s offense was speeding (55 in a 35 mph zone) and running a stop sign while entering a Cracker Barrel County Store parking lot. 

Kuehn, who was on her way to Florida to visit relatives, was in the company of her husband and two others when the arrest was made.  As she was driving on a foreign driver’s license, the state trooper, who arrested her, had her to accompany him to the Glynn County Sheriff’s Department for bond processing.  The trooper, it should be noted was following perfectly proper procedure.

It was at the Sheriff’s Department that Kuehn was detained 11 hours and subjected to the strip shower.

Glynn County Sheriff Wayne Bennett has launched and internal investigation and has publicly stated that this should not have happened.

State Senator Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, who sponsored the legislation in the General Assembly in the first place, is reported by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution to have said, “Just because someone misinterprets the law doesn’t mean it is a bad law. A third grader can read this [law] and understand it.”

That being true, it sounds as though Sheriff Bennett needs to find him some deputies with a third grade education (you know…at about the same level as state legislators) to run his jail.

The stupidity of government and the idiocy of its players would be hilarious if it were not for the negative consequences to the citizens and non-citizens, alike.

Our law enforcement officers have a difficult enough job without some in their number doing such idiotic things to make them look bad.  Whoever was responsible for this atrocity should be summarily fired...after being stripped and deloused!

Way to go, Glynn County.  You made us look as stupid and bumbling as we are reputed to be!